# Re-writing someone's post - against the rules?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-writing-someones-post-against-the-rules/590685>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [July 29, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-writing-someones-post-against-the-rules/590685 "2011-07-29T01:16:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 20

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-writing-someones-post-against-the-rules/590685/20 "2014-03-29T11:12:08Z")

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The intent of the rule was that quote-boxes were to be treated like quotes in academic or literary or similar papers. You can edit as you please, as long as it’s clear what you’ve done – that is, use of … to indicate omission, additional words in square brackets, etc. and as long as you’re not substantively changing the meaning. In short, exactly as cited by **CrazyHorse** in post #12 above.

[quote=Rules of Straight Dope Message Boards]  
Falsely attributing a quote to another user, or modifying another’s post in order to cast him/her in a bad light, even if meant in jest, is grounds for revocation of your posting privileges.

This does not apply to parodies to which no name is attached.

Text inside

[QUOTE]  
tags is sacrosanct. Normal editorial rules apply: that is, you may indicate omitted portions of a quote by the use of ellipses “…” and you may add text to clarify a word using square brackets (e.g., “her [the sister’s] friend”), but you may \*\*not \*\* add editorial comments or edit a quote so as to change the substantive meaning; nor may you substitute text such as “some blather” or “more nonsense” inside the

> [@](#):
>
> tags.

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